When it comes to the delimitation of territorial water boundaries between adjacent States, this must be resolved in accordance with international law, he stressed in an interview with ANA-MPA in view of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s visit to Athens today, making an explicit reference to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
In particular, regarding the delimitation of the continental shelf and the EEZ between Greece and Turkey, Sergei Lavrov maintained that Russia’s position, which signed the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, was based on the rules of International Law contained in this treaty, and noted that Article 3 of the Convention provided that each State had the sovereign right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles.
Referring to Hagia Sophia, he pointed out that it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which belonged to all humankind, had exceptional cultural and historical value and it was a sacred place for the Orthodox faithful of his country and the whole world. He added that it had special spiritual significance for the Russians. He also referred to the statements made by the representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church on the status of the church and considered it important to assess the condition of the church, the activity of the group of observers-experts of the UNESCO World Heritage Center and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).
He also expressed “grave concern” over Turkey’s decision on Varosha and clarified that this move contradicted a series of UN Security Council Resolutions. By denouncing this decision, he sent the message that any unilateral actions prevent the creation of a constructive atmosphere and raise additional barriers to the resumption of negotiations for the definitive settlement of this old problem.
Furthermore, the Russian foreign minister expressed his gratitude to Greece for the assistance in the repatriation of Russian citizens during the first wave of COVID-19. Sergei Lavrov made special reference to the Year of History between Greece and Russia which is planned to be held in 2021, and coincides with the celebrations of the bicentennial anniversary of the 1821 Greek Revolution. The Russian foreign minister stressed that it would be a proof of the close historical links of the Russian and Greek people.
Deepening in bilateral trade and economic relations, the Russian foreign minister suggested that the two countries worked closely together to restore the trade volume at a pre-COVID-19 level and announced that he looked forward to an in-depth discussion of this issue as part of his contacts in Greece.
Asked about Turkey’s involvement in the Nagorno-Karabakh, Syria and Libya conflicts, he said Russia and Turkey were working to resolve the conflict in all these hotbeds of tension, noting that the two countries’ positions on resolving some regional conflicts may, for objective reasons, differ significantly. More specifically, he pointed out that concerning the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict the approach of Russia and Turkey each has its own nuances.
